Muir said a police officer and city park attendant jumped into action, calling for paramedics and administering CPR.

"By this time it was just coming down in buckets, heavy," he said. "What strikes me about this is how unselfishly both of them were.

"Keep in mind, it's a lightning strike, there's a risk of more and there was another strike. It just didn't happen at that spot."

In fact, the other strike occurred just metres away when EMS arrived. The strike hit a nearby willow tree and the surge from the lightning bolt knocked out the electrical system onboard the ambulance, leaving it stranded. Another ambulance had to be dispatched to the scene.